Bell X-16
The Bell X-16 was a high altitude reconnaissance jet aircraft designed in the United States in the 1950s. A mock-up of the X-16 was built, but the project was cancelled in favor of the Martin RB-57 before any X-16 aircraft were completed. The designation of X-16 was a cover to try to hide the true nature of the aircraft mission from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.Jenkins et al. 2003, p. 23. Development During the second half of 1953, Fairchild, Bell, and Martin Aircraft conducted high altitude reconnaissance aircraft design studies for the United States Air Force under project MX-2147.Polmar 2001, p. 26. All three designs used Pratt & Whitney J57-19 engines. The Bell and Martin (B-57D) designs were chosen for further development. The Bell Model 67 design was designated the X-16. A full-scale X-16 mock-up was completed and one aircraft was partially completed. It was designed as a high altitude long-range reconnaissance aircraft. The X-16 design was breaking new ground with its design. Its wing was long (114.83 feet) with a high aspect ratio (11.9). It was significantly lighter and more flexible than usual jet aircraft wings. The entire aircraft was made as light as possible to fulfill its mission of a 3,000-mile unrefueled range at a 69,500 ft altitude. A total of 28 aircraft were ordered, but none were completed. The first X-16 was about 80 percent complete when the program was cancelled by the Air Force in favor of the Martin RB-57 in 1956. Although no X-16 was ever completed, it made contributions to aircraft design with its lightweight design. It was also a driving force behind the development of the high-altitude J57 jet engine that would later power the Lockheed U-2 and other aircraft. Specifications (X-16, as designed) |crew= one, pilot |capacity= |length main= 60 ft 10 in |length alt= 18.55 m |span main=114 ft 10 in |span alt= 35 m |height main= 17 ft 1 in |height alt=5.2 m |area main= 1,099 ft² |area alt= 102.19 m² |airfoil= |empty weight main= 23,280 lb |empty weight alt= 10,582 kg |loaded weight main= 36,124 lb |loaded weight alt= 16,420 kg |useful load main= |useful load alt= |max takeoff weight main= |max takeoff weight alt= |more general= |engine (jet)= Pratt & Whitney J57-PW-37A |type of jet=turbojets |number of jets=2 |thrust main=4,520 lbf |thrust alt= 20.11 kN |thrust original= |afterburning thrust main= |afterburning thrust alt= |max speed main= 480 knots |max speed alt= 553 mph, 885 km/h |cruise speed main= |cruise speed alt= |never exceed speed main= |never exceed speed alt= |stall speed main= |stall speed alt= |range main= 2,867 nm |range alt= 3,319 mi, 5,310 km |ceiling main= 71,832 ft |ceiling alt= 21,900 m |climb rate main= |climb rate alt= |loading main= 33 lb/ft² |loading alt= 160 kg/m² |thrust/weight= 1:0.55 |power/mass main= |power/mass alt= |more performance= |armament= |avionics= }} See also * Lockheed U-2 * Martin RB-57 References ;Notes ;Bibliography * Jenkins, Dennis R., Tony Landis and Jay Miller. [http://history.nasa.gov/monograph31.pdf American X-Vehicles: An Inventory – X-1 to X-50] (Monographs in Aerospace History No. 31: Centennial of Flight Edition). Washington, D.C.: NASA SP-2003-4531, June 2003. Retrieved: 26 July 2009. * Miller, Jay. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works: The Official History. Leicester, UK: Aerofax, an imprint of Midland Publishing, 1995 (revised edition). ISBN 1-85780-037-0. * Polmar, Martin. Spyplane: The U-2 History. St. Paul, Minnesota: Zenith Press, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-0957-4. External links * Bell X-16 at X-Planes site * X-16 at globalsecurity.org X-16, Bell